Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कपालखटवांगकरं नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम् । गणैः परिवृतं तत्र सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्

Transliteration

kapālakhaṭavāṃgakaraṃ nāgayajñopavītinam | gaṇaiḥ parivṛtaṃ tatra surāsuranamaskṛtam

Translation

கையில் கபாலமும் கட்டுவாங்கத் தண்டும் ஏந்தி, நாகத்தை யஜ்ஞோபவீதமாக அணிந்து, அங்கே கணங்களால் சூழப்பட்டிருந்தார்; தேவரும் அசுரரும் அவரை வணங்கினர்.

Word by Word

• कपालखटवाङ्गकरम्: one whose hand bears a skull and khaṭvāṅga
• कपालखटवाङ्गकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल-खट्वाङ्ग-कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (बहुपद-समास) ‘whose hand holds skull and khaṭvāṅga’

• नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्: one wearing a serpent as sacred thread
• नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-यज्ञोपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; नाग + यज्ञोपवीतिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गणैः: by the gaṇas (attendants)
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परिवृतम्: surrounded
• परिवृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘surrounded’; उपसर्ग: परि-

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: saluted by gods and demons
• सुरासुरनमस्कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-असुर-नमस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + असुर + नमस्कृत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘saluted by’; विशेषण (देवदेवम्—अनुवृत्त)

Speaker

Vyāsa (narration/description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha/Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva holding kapāla and khaṭvāṅga, serpent as yajñopavīta across the torso, surrounded by diverse gaṇas; devas and asuras in orderly rows offer namaskāra, highlighting Śiva’s impartial lordship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇas
• Devas
• Asuras
• Khaṭvāṅga
• Kapāla
• Nāga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva transcends all dualities: even devas and asuras bow to Him, indicating His supreme, all-encompassing lordship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is set in the Kailāsa context within the Dharmāraṇya narrative; no separate tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse models namaskāra (reverential salutation) to Śiva.